Days of Memories
by Merciful Idiot
Summary: What if: Roxas joined Marluxia and Larxene's cause, following them to Castle Oblivion? As he aids them in manipulating Sora's memories with Naminé, he finds that there is a mysterious connection between him and the spiky-haired keyblader...
1. Organization

_**–"If he had met Sora, things might've been different."–**_

_****__**–**_"Is it true you're almost semi-competent now? Maybe we should've let you in on- nothing."_**–**_

_**These two lines - while I was replaying 365/2 Days out of boredom**__** -**_ are what encouraged me to write this little what-if scenario.  


* * *

_It's been a week since I got here. Saïx told me to keep a diary, but he said nobody would check it. What am I supposed to write about? _  
_Today they told us to go to the Round Room, where we met our new member, No. XIV. Was I like that when I first got here? I think I was. But I don't remember too well._

...

A boy woke up in an empty room.

It had been eight days since he first joined the Organization, since he first started 'existing', if it could even be called that.

The existence of a Nobody wasn't a true existence after all – without a heart of their own, that was what they needed Kingdom Hearts for. They all desired to become whole again, to feel. He didn't understand that same desire, but…he followed them nevertheless. He didn't know much at this point, and the past seven days had drifted by, teaching him things that were vaguely planted into his head, such as his name.

His name was Roxas, Number XIII, the Key of Destiny.

The day before, a new member had been chosen to wear the coat, and for some reason he glanced at him. It was strange. It shouldn't have meant anything, but it did.

"Eww, you're awake?" remarked Larxene as he entered the room, but she was ignored. The words were empty and didn't mean anything.

"Roxas, your work begins today. I will issue missions, which the Organization expects you to carry out," Saïx informed him coldly. He was Number VII, the Luna Diviner, as well as the second-in-command. "Think of these early missions as exercises. You still have much to learn before we put you to a real test."

"…" No reply.

Saïx's glare turned to the left, and Roxas followed it. Leaning by the wall was a man with red hair and two small tattoos below his eyes, lazily hanging around – the antithesis of the devoted Saïx. He was Number VIII, or the Flurry of Dancing Flames.

"Axel will be joining you your first time out. Isn't that right?"

"Oh boy…" Axel sighed, wearing an annoyed expression as he walked over to them. "What, are you making me the kid's mentor now?"

Saïx turned around. "Surely you don't mind showing Roxas here the ropes? Teach him well, Axel." Then he walked away, leaving the two Nobodies.

"Well, you heard the man. Starting today, I'm your babysitter," said Axel. "Don't worry. I'll be sure you make the grade."

"…" No reply.

"Sheesh… quit acting like a zombie, and let's get this show on the road. C'mon, Roxas."

Roxas glanced at the newest member, Number XIV of the Organization. He was fully cloaked, his face covered in shadows, but he seemed short. Silently he stood there, not saying a word, while Roxas continued to stare at him.

"Oh, you worried about the new kid? What's her name again… ah, Xion."

"Xion," said Roxas, prompting a chuckle from Axel.

"Got it memorized, Roxas?" he asked.

The boy looked away. "…Yeah."

"Good! Now, let's get going."

Showing his hand to an empty space in the lobby, a dark corridor materialized. The walls between worlds were steep, so they had to use these corridors of darkness, which lead to every place imaginable. However, as it resides in the realm of darkness, the members had to wear these cloaks to shield themselves from its harmful effects.

Together, the two of them walked in.

It had taken Roxas a while to understand words and move about, but he had managed to get the gist of it. Another thing was the object he could summon into his hands, a light key-shaped weapon, though its uses were as of yet unknown to him.

The day passed by in a way that he decided he should get used to. During the mission, all he had to do was find a chest. After looking around for a bit while jumping about, he managed to find it - a strange object that he had never seen before, decorated in a strange manner. Axel informed him that chests were supposed to be opened, so he opened it. It was a mission accomplished.

Afterwards, to his confusion, Axel brought him to the top of a high tower whereupon they sat. He offered him what he called 'the icing on the cake' while having one himself, an ice cream called sea-salt ice cream. It was salty, but sweet too.

"Here you are, out on the field, working for the Organization…" remarked Axel. "Today, you're one of us."

"I guess it's a start," replied Roxas, uncertain.

The day ended shortly afterwards.

…

_Axel and I went to Twilight Town today. He taught me a lot. _  
_Before we RTC'd (Returned To the Castle) we swung by the clock tower and had some sea-salt ice cream. Axel called it the "icing on the cake" after a successful mission. Well, except there was no cake—just the ice cream. _  
_I don't know what to write in this thing!_

…

He woke up. Xemnas once mentioned that Nobodies sleep because they need to store up power, for some reason, which was why he had slept.

Another day had begun. The young boy didn't know how they defined a day, but he had to assume it meant each time a person slept and woke again. Each and every day, the same as ever, only now there were missions.

"Roxas, today you will be working with Marluxia," Saïx informed him.

Standing nearby was a flamboyant pink-haired man who seemed glad to take this mission upon himself. They both watched as Saïx walked away, before he turned back to Roxas, with a slow yet eager look on his face.

"Well, there you have it. Welcome to the fold," he greeted, projecting a corridor of darkness that led into the outer world of Twilight Town, ready for another mission.

It was an unfamiliar setting to Roxas, but he looked up to see the familiar tower he had been on with Axel the day before.

"Roxas, was it?" asked Marluxia. "I never got to properly introduce myself, did I? I am Marluxia, Number XI."

"Okay," replied Roxas. "So what do I have to do today?"

"Today, your job is to collect hearts. Could you summon your Keyblade for me?"

"Well…sure, all right." Willing it, the key-shaped weapon materialized into his hand with a thin burst of light. Marluxia looked down at it with a smile, almost one of obsession.

"Lucky Number XIII… At last, a chosen wielder of the Keyblade amongst our ranks."

Before anything could continue, several black creatures with yellow-beaded eyes appeared, confusing Roxas. The mission had begun. Under Marluxia's instructions, he managed to destroy them all, with little effort.

Afterwards he was informed that they were Shadows – weak Heartless who roam about, searching for hearts, coming in two varieties. Purebloods and Emblems, the latter of which was the one he should be destroying, because they released hearts. They would then gather as one, to create an almighty force known as _Kingdom Hearts._That was the Organization's primary objective above all else.

Marluxia told him that he was special in this with his Keyblade, this was a part that he and only he was capable of. It held vast potential unlike any other.

…

The day ended, and afterwards Zexion told him a little more about Kingdom Hearts, about how it would complete their existences. They were all Nobodies, a name for those who were missing a vital piece of who they were; their hearts. He himself didn't have one either, making him incomplete, a Nobody. Only Kingdom Hearts had the power to complete them. Therefore, only having a heart would make that difference.

…

The day after that was yet another day, as he woke up. Once more he walked into the lobby, observing it. Each and every one of these people present was a Nobody, lacking a heart of their own and desiring to be complete. That was what he understood. That was why they needed Kingdom Hearts, and that was why they needed _him_. Because Nobodies need hearts.

"Roxas, Larxene will be your partner today," Saïx informed him as he entered.

Or at least, as far as he knew.

"Larxene…right. Um."

Roxas looked around, searching for the somewhat-familiar woman. She was Number XII, the Savage Nymph, and the member to join the Organization right before him. Why he remembered that, he wasn't sure, but maybe it was her attitude that was so different from the rest of the members – even Axel. Wearing a black coat like all the others, she had blonde hair like a nymph and clear-blue eyes. And she didn't appear to be around.

"She already left. Meet her on-site."

"Oh…alright."

Moving his hand to an empty space, he concentrated on projecting a dark corridor, the waypoint through the realm of darkness, giving access to other worlds of which each was different. The dark gathered to form a portal, and he walked into it, sending him to Twilight Town.

"Nice of you to show up," said Larxene, with a fed up expression.

"Umm, hi," Roxas greeted back awkwardly.

"Ugh, this is the worst." She really looked annoyed. "Whose idea was it to send me along on your stupid baby mission? Do I look like I run a nursery school?"

"…" No reply.

"Let Demyx handle this stuff. It's not like he's good at anything else. Ugh."

"…" No reply.

"What? WHAT? You got something to say?" Larxene shot at him, noticing his manner. "Pfft, you'd be nothing without that Keyblade… Oh-hoh! I just got an idea." A sinister grin formed on her face. "You can do today's mission **WITHOUT your Keyblade!"**

"What? Why?!" exclaimed Roxas, baffled. Without his Keyblade, he wouldn't be able to fight at all.

"Because I said so, that's why! Saïx told you to practice magic today, didn't he? Well, sink or swim."

"No, he didn't- and I don't know how to use magic!"

"Well, you're not gonna learn if you keep whipping around that oversized key…ah, just in time." Nearby, a Heartless in the shape of a flower had materialized. "Go on, take it out–but you can't use your Keyblade! I'll just stand here and watch."

_Thanks a lot,_thought Roxas sarcastically.

But in all honesty, she was different from the other Nobodies...somehow. Wasn't his purpose to use the Keyblade to destroy the Heartless and collect hearts, so they could all eventually gain their own? However, she didn't seem too concerned about that, instead trying to taunt him by not allowing him to use it…what was the deal with that?

Suddenly, a ball of poison came flying his way, and Roxas dodged it before it could hit him. He was about to summon his Keyblade, but Larxene's glare was enough to stop him from doing that. He had to focus. He didn't know how, but he had to try it. Something… fire.

Thrusting his hands forward, he focused, and a ball of fire formed. It was working! Without hesitation, he fired it at the Heartless, and the two forces collided – immediately incinerating the flower-like creature. Although it was defeated, it didn't release a heart like last time. Of course it wouldn't, he needed the Keyblade to do that.

"Ooh ooh, here come some more. Go on, wipe 'em out!" Larxene commanded him, noting several more Emblem Heartless approaching.

They were all Emblems, yet…she didn't seem too concerned either about his Keyblade or about the Hearts they could potentially obtain. Didn't she want her own heart? It made no sense. They were all Nobodies, so they should all want hearts…right? Yet she expected him to waste them all. Larxene noticed he wasn't doing anything.

"Ugh, at the speed we're going, we'll be here all month…" she breathed out, shaking her head. "Fine, go ahead. You can use your Keyblade this time-"

"No," Roxas cut her off. "What happened to learning magic? I have to prove that I can fight without 'that oversized key'…as you called it."

"Oh?" Larxene seemed surprised at his response, but then she shrugged. "Up to you. Just finish this mission already."

He didn't know why he had said that. It would've been much easier if he had just allowed her to let him use the Keyblade, but her words were right. If he kept on going like this, then he would only be some boy whose only talent was wielding a Keyblade. He had to show her, prove to her that he was better than that.

The Heartless approaching, he ran at them. Thrusting his hands forward, he brought forth a fireball like the one before and threw it at one of them – incinerating it within moments. He followed through with several other enemies until they had all been burnt to a crisp. The whole battle lasted less than ten seconds.

"Sheesh, it's about time," said Larxene, shattering his triumphant expression.

"…" No reply.

_So even all that hadn't been enough._Roxas hung his head low.

"…But I'm glad to see that at least our big-shot Keyblade wielder isn't some total loser," she finished with a shrug, and he grinned. At the very least, he had managed to gain her recognition.

"Thanks, Larxene," he replied, looking back up to her.

"Well, you'd better pull it together, or else we'll never finish Kingdom Hearts," taunted Larxene. "Unless of course, we put someone else on Keyblade duty…"

"I have a question," said Roxas, ignoring her comment. It was probably just sarcasm or something. "Do you really care about forming Kingdom Hearts?"

Larxene had turned away, about to project a portal that would bring them back to the castle, when she froze at his question. Her arms dropped by her side, and she turned back to him with an amused expression.

"You know, kid, having a heart is painful. Personally, I think Nobodies are probably better off without them…" she told him, drifting off before catching herself. Then she looked annoyed. "Ugh, let's go – before you kill any more of my brain cells."

He wanted to ask her more, but she had already entered the dark corridor before he could. What did she mean, by hearts being painful? She was different from the others somehow, in many ways. Did she actually enjoy being a Nobody…?

…

The next day after the past few days, he woke up again. Everything was empty. He had no memories, no goals, no desires. The one thing he might've dedicated himself to – collecting hearts – was now put into question. None of it made sense.

Roxas entered the lobby and saw Larxene sitting on a white sofa. He took a step towards her, planning on continuing the conversation from yesterday-

"What do you want?" she asked, still annoyed. "I'm busy. Go hit your head against the glass or something."

Frowning, he turned around and walked away. She hadn't appeared to be doing anything, but he decided not to disturb her nevertheless, assuming she was in a bad mood or something. Looking around, he saw Demyx – Number IX, who had apparently witnessed his interaction with her.

"Man, why's Larxene gotta be such a witch all the time?" remarked Demyx, sighing as he strummed his sitar.

"…" No reply.

Was Larxene honestly always like that? She was different from all the others, somehow, but he shouldn't be coming to conclusions too soon. Maybe there were others.

He turned and walked towards Saïx, ready for another mission. He was paired up with Vexen who taught him about reconnaissance, and despite trying his best, he was told that he should be able to discover these things at first glance.

…

The day afterwards, it was Lexaeus who taught him about ultimate attacks and nearly killed him. Lexaeus told him that he had to be able to fend for himself, and that both he and the Keyblade are invaluable to the Organization. He asked him about Kingdom Hearts, who replied that they would unite with it and gain hearts of their own. He still didn't understand though, but Lexaeus only said this; "When the time comes, you will."

Everybody seemed to want to complete Kingdom Hearts, and as far as Roxas knew, only Larxene was different in opinion.

Roxas glanced at Larxene, lying on a different sofa this time. "What are you looking at?" she shot at him, looking down at her body and then back at him. "...Oh, dream on, pipsqueak. Go take a hike."

She still didn't seem to be in the mood to talk to him. Maybe Demyx was right about her always being a witch.

…

_The past few days, the other members have been showing me how to fight and do mission stuff. They also told me more about the Organization, and about myself. _  
_I still don't really get what a "heart" is. If I collect enough hearts, I can complete Kingdom Hearts, and then I'll be whole. It's supposed to be a vital piece of who I am—but according to Larxene, having a heart is painful. It's so confusing, I don't understand. The more I learn, the less I seem to know. Is being whole really worth it?_

…

The next day again, and he was paired up with Axel, again. It was already the fourteenth day.

There was no real way to keep track of time. He caught glimpses of three 'Somebodies' run past them, acting weirdly. That was what it meant to have a heart; to make no sense. But they also looked to be having fun, even though Larxene told him having a heart was painful… Shortly afterwards, Axel offered ice cream and told him they were friends.

Upon returning to the castle, he and Axel went their separate ways, and Roxas turned to return back to his room. Before he did, he stopped to glance at Larxene, relaxing on a nearby sofa. If she didn't answer him, then he may as well drop it altogether and return to collecting hearts.

"Is it true you're almost semi-competent now?" she asked, not turning around to face him. "Maybe we should've let you in on– nothing."

"Let me in on what?" asked Roxas.

The nymph got up from her sofa and took a moment to look around – nobody appeared to be here, having either returned to their rooms or still out on a mission – before looking back to had an uncertain look on her face, thinking for a moment.

It melted away into an outright grin.

"…Roxas, isn't this place dull?" Larxene asked back, all of a sudden.

He couldn't help but notice that this was the first time she had called him by name. If he had to guess, that meant that her question was a serious one, and he had to think his answer through. He looked down for a moment, in silence, to think about it.

The day before, those three kids looked like they were having fun – fun that didn't seem to be around in the castle. Even Axel looked to be bored sometimes. The day before, he had laughed for the first time, but he never felt that way in the Organization. Friends, those were what made him laugh. But the Organization, being Nobodies without hearts, weren't concerned about making friends.

To 'feel', that was what having a heart meant. But to feel also meant never making any sense…was that what Larxene had meant? Every single day was another failure. That would mean that Kingdom Hearts was just one, gigantic, dull pursuit of something that would only make things worse. It was all pointless in the end. There was no point to stay if gaining a heart was a mistake.

So…this place was indeed dull. It was pointless staying here if the only reason was to gain a heart, and if hearts were painful in the first place. These Nobodies should be seeing this emptiness as a blessing, and they were better off without one. It was pointless, and dull.

"Yeah," replied Roxas.

Larxene grinned, and walked towards him before patting his shoulder. "I'm gonna go talk to Marluxia for a bit…" she whispered into his ear, in a bemused tone. "We'll moving someplace else in several more days."

…

_Me and Axel went on a mission to Twilight Town. Afterwards, we went and had ice cream again up on the clock tower. He said friends do stuff like that. Or they laugh together. So does that mean me and him are friends? _  
_Afterwards, Larxene asked me a strange question, which I decided I agreed with. Then she told me that we're going to move someplace soon. Wonder where it is._

…

Roxas woke up.

Today – the fifteenth day – felt different from all the other days. He felt more aware of everything now, about hearts and about worlds. The past fourteen days had been enough for him, but his path had been chosen the very moment Larxene told him the truth about having a heart. He wasn't about to back down now.

When he walked out of his room, Marluxia was standing there, having been waiting for him. He looked as if he were having the time of his life.

"Larxene told me about you... I'm sure you will make a fine addition," said the graceful assassin, smiling triumphantly. "I convinced Xemnas for you to come with us, on the condition that you continue destroying Heartless."

"Where are we going?" asked Roxas.

"A second base for the Organization, situated in the world between worlds. _Castle Oblivion."_

* * *

___**Not sure if I'll end up continuing this, mind you, since I'm so lazy and trying to write a real novel that I can publish...though I'm too lazy right now to will myself to do such a thing.  
**_

_**I also don't know whether I'll pair Roxas with Larxene or Naminé (personally a Roxas-Xion shipper, though since he left the castle before the development could begin, I doubt that's going to happen), or I could pair him up with Axel...or maybe I could just go the friendship route. I don't know.  
**_

**_In all honesty, I have no idea what direction I'll be going with this story.  
_**


	2. Castle Oblivion

_**I know what you're thinking. 'Finally! An update!'. xD**_

* * *

_Every day after work, I've been meeting Axel at the clock tower to have sea-salt ice cream. It really is salty! But still sweet, too. How come it tastes so familiar?_

_The other members have been teaching me more about how to fight and stuff. But more importantly, I'll be going to a place called Castle Oblivion in about a week, though I'll still have to collect hearts there…_

...

A man walked along a grey path, an echo coming from each and every step he made . It had been twenty-three days since Roxas had first joined the Organization, but he had gone missing at around the same time the other members were sent to Castle Oblivion. It didn't make sense. Even though he didn't have a heart, even though there was this everlasting nothing inside of him, he still worried about it, somehow. He didn't understand how such a thing was possible.

"Axel," said Saïx as he passed by, stopping. "I have a message from Lord Xemnas. We have reason to believe one or more of the members assigned to C.O. intend to betray us."

No surprise there. Marluxia, Larxene, Lexaeus, Zexion, and Vexen had all been suspicious in their own way, and it wasn't hard at all to figure out which ones were most likely to be 'the traitors'. They probably thought that the castle was a mere floating structure, unaware of the secrets it held within or the way Xemnas truly ran things in here. Every member was watched to an extent.

He turned to Saïx. "And I take it that's straight from his lips, huh?"

"Find them, and dispose of them," ordered Saïx. After observing Axel for a bit, he continued. "Even Roxas. If he fails us, we still have the puppet."

"Eh…?" At first, he thought he had misheard, but Saïx's words had been loud and clear. It was useless to deny. "Roxas? He was sent there too?"

Axel couldn't help but be surprised. He could hardly feel anything nowadays, but a slight feeling within his chest still froze over. He didn't have to imitate emotions from his memories to comprehend what he was feeling at this moment.

Still, there was something about this that bothered him. It was disadvantageous for both the Organization and for himself, as he was still pretty much a zombie at this point. Why would Roxas of all people be sent there, after all? He did notice the kid trying to chat with Larxene in the past week, but surely there was no way he would join that group of traitors…?

Instead of replying, Saïx simply walked away.

…

It had been twenty-three days now since he had first worn the coat, and the first day since having moved from the Castle That Never Was.

Roxas hadn't brought much with him, only his black coat and an ice-cream stick that had the words WINNER on it. He had wanted to ask Axel about it, but didn't manage to find the time as he and the rest went to the fortress that was their new home. Hopefully, he would get another chance to ask him about it in the future.

Zexion had explained to Roxas earlier that Castle Oblivion was a place intended to research memories, which was important for Nobodies who only have their memories to draw personalities from. Roxas didn't really understand, he himself not having any memories from before joining the Organization, but he nodded anyway. A strange Nobody unlike any other had appeared there recently, whose name was named Naminé. She was a sort of memory witch, and Marluxia had been put in charge of her alongside the castle.

Six members in total had settled in this new base, as far as he knew. The senior members Lexaeus, Zexion, and Vexen would reside in the basements, while Marluxia, Larxene, and he would stay at the upper half.

He and Larxene stood in the middle of an empty white room, similar yet completely different to the other castle. Unlike that one, this one was much lighter and had a lot less of strange symbols etched into its walls, but at the same time with an extremely confusing layout. Without their corridors of darkness, they would easily get lost. In the middle of the room was a crystal orb.

Naminé was a key piece to their plan, as was some kid named Sora. Somehow, he was supposed to help them take over the Organization.

But first, he had to be lured to the castle. Marluxia himself would be filling in on that task.

…

It had begun.

_"Ahead lies something you need. But to claim it…you must lose something that is dear to you," _Marluxia's voice boomed from the crystal ball.

Looking into its display, Roxas saw a young boy with brown spiky hair, wearing large yellow shoes, a white and black overjacket as well as a baggy red jumpsuit, along with gloves. It was the most ridiculous outfit he had ever seen, but then again, he had hardly seen any outfits in his entire life. Not only that, but something about the boy felt…strange, when he looked at him. Without a doubt, this was definitely Sora. Their key to overthrowing the Organization.

Suddenly, a dark corridor materialized in front of them. "Why, hello there! Larxene, Roxas."

"Axel?!" Roxas asked, and the familiar cloaked redhead walked out with a smile. "You didn't tell me you were coming to Castle Oblivion too!"

"Well, I was going to tell you but didn't get the chance," replied Axel, shrugging.

That was probably his own fault. Roxas had neglected hanging around in the clock tower for the past few days, and upon being reminded, he immediately regretted it. After all, it might be a long, long time until they had the chance to eat ice cream together again.

"It's about time you showed up!" said Larxene. "I wonder what took you so _long?_ Could it be that you didn't want blondie here," she glanced at Roxas. "…to know that you'd be coming?"

"I only needed to ask our leader about something. Nothing more."

_Our leader?_ Roxas wondered why Axel would need to ask Xemnas about it, but his attention was caught back to the crystal orb when some sort of duck dressed in blue waved its staff around for some reason, trying to call out some sort of magic attack at the cloaked man in front of him, but always cutting itself off for some reason. It also called Marluxia a Heartless, though it should've been pretty obvious that he wasn't. These people were really strange.

_"The moment you set foot in this castle, you began to forget. You've forgotten every spell and ability you know."_

Roxas frowned at that, before turning around to face the wall. "Blizzard!" he called out, and a block of ice materialized and launched itself away, before shattering itself against the wall. His attempt attracted the stares of the two older Nobodies. Larxene laughed.

"Heh, you actually believe that? Relax, brat." She gestured towards the little girl nearby, sitting in a white chair. She had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a short white dress, her attention fixed downward on the notebook in her lap. "She's the one in control of everything, so there's absolutely _nothing_ to worry about. Just don't try that again, or I'll get really annoyed."

Larxene was right, this worry of his had been kind of stupid. It was silly to think that he and the other members of the Organization would be affected by the same power, since that would be disadvantageous to them all. There was no way Marluxia would've attempted if that were the case.

There was something about the girl that made it hard for him to turn away. Something that was…drawing him, towards her, and she also had an air of familiarity.

"That's Naminé, isn't it?" asked Axel.

_"In this place, to lose is to find and to find is to lose."_

"Of course. Isn't it funny how someone who looks so innocent can be such a devious little witch?"

_"Here you will meet people you know. People you miss."_

Deciding to think about it another time, Roxas looked back to the orb. Sora hadn't been the only one Marluxia ended up luring here, he was joined some sort of duck sorcerer and a tall, bipedal dog with a turtle shield. At the last line, they all appeared to react intensely.

_"Riku?! You mean Riku's here?!"_

_"The king?! You mean the king's here?!"_

And by the looks of it, the three of them had come here in search of their king…some person by the name of King Riku, he guessed. He wondered if anyone from the Organization would try and search for Xemnas if he ever went missing, but he doubted it. If that happened, someone else – probably Saïx – would assume command and resume activity as normal. Those three must really admire their king.

"…and Roxas?" asked Axel. Roxas hadn't really been listening to their conversation, but the mention of his name caught the boy's attention.

"Yeah, he's in on it too," confirmed Larxene. "_Got it memorized,_ Axel?"

Axel showed annoyance at his catchphrase being stolen, but decided to let it be, before looking back at the crystal orb. In it, Sora was displayed as he walked closer towards a door, and held out a glowing card with triple spikes that made it look a bit like a crown. Then, he vanished into a white light. From what Roxas understood, he wasn't about to advance to the next floor just yet, as he would have to travel through his memories first.

At the same time, Marluxia hadn't returned despite having already done what was needed. Either he was pitifully waiting on the second floor until Sora showed up, or had gone someplace else. It was hard to tell.

"So what's so special about Sora anyway?" asked Roxas, continuing to watch him as he and his two queer friends emerged into a dark town. "I don't get it."

Axel opened his mouth. "He is the k-"

"The kid who beat Ansem," finished Larxene, cutting him off. "I suppose you didn't notice, but he also happens to wield the Keyblade, _just like you. _Not feeling so special anymore, huh?"

_What…? _Surprised, Roxas turned to the crystal orb again to see Sora facing several Heartless with a key-shaped weapon. A Keyblade, and one that appeared completely identical to the one that he himself wielded. He hadn't really thought about it before, but it did make sense. There was no way he was the only Keyblade user around, after all, and so he accepted it. But another question still lingered on his mind.

"Who's Ansem?" he asked.

"A sentient Heartless," said Axel. "Even after falling into darkness, he retained his will and went on to unleash Heartless onto all the other worlds. Just like us, he had desired Kingdom Hearts, but for another reason."

"The idiot thought it was made of pure darkness and hoped to absorb its power, but turned out that it was made of light," explained Larxene. "Hah! Obliterated himself in his mad quest for power."

"But you said Sora beat him," Roxas pointed out.

"It's complicated, okay? I'd rather not delve into the whole Ansem business."

Seeing that she probably wouldn't continue on, Roxas moved his attention back to the orb. It looked like this 'Sora' was going to take quite a while before he got to the next floor, but it was still interesting to watch his adventures and battles. It was neither important nor surprising, but he couldn't help but notice that the boy used his Keyblade in battle differently, using a different style. While he certainly took his time in interacting with the creation of his memories, he and his 'bodyguards' (what else could they be?) were already noticing the oddity of it all.

After about half an hour, though it was difficult to judge exactly without any clocks around, the boy had found the exit at last, and entered into the second floor along the other two. There, a cloaked man was waiting for them.

_"Well? Did you enjoy meeting your memories?"_

_"Yeah. It was good to see everyone again, but…" _Sora faltered._ "What do you really want from me?"_

_"What do you have to give?"_

Then, the covered Marluxia began to approach them. Sora readied himself by summoning his Keyblade, while his two bodyguards also assumed battle stances, all prepared for a fight. The purpose of this fight was to give the boy the illusion that he was fighting for something and that they were the bad guys, even though it was actually meaningless. It also made it easier for Naminé to overwrite his memories bit by bit. Roxas anxiously glanced to his right to see her uncomfortable expression, and then to the left to see a bored Larxene and…hold on, where was-

_"Hello!"_

Right behind Marluxia, Axel had materialized with a smile on his face, unworried at all that he was intruding. Larxene sighed and shook her head as she watched him interrupt. The trio of heroes were on-guard by this newcomer.

_"What do you want?"_ asked Marluxia.

Still smiling, Axel put his hands against his waist. _"No hoggin' the hero. I got bored watching you take the spotlight."_

_"Hmph." _After a moment of silence, Marluxia turned around and threw a card at him – the redhead caught it effortlessly, and his smile became a wide grin. _"Then perhaps you'd like to test him."_

_"Perhaps I would."_

_What are you doing, Axel?! _Roxas felt tempted into yelling, but restrained himself as he glanced to the side.

Larxene's face had become a bemused one by then, and she sat back as she watched the crystal ball with interest. Unsure about the situation right now, he decided to do the same. There was no need to worry. Shortly afterwards, Marluxia vanished into a corridor of darkness and appeared nearby in the room they were in, before joining them as they watched Axel do his thing.

_"Who am I? Oh, my name's Axel. Got it memorized?" _he greeted Sora and co, who were all suspicious about him. While he talked lightly, he also appeared to be mocking them at the same time. It was different to the Axel that Roxas had gotten to know over the past few weeks.

Then Axel summoned his two fiery chakrams, and a battle ensued. Roxas had full confidence in him, and all the while, Naminé continued to draw in her notebook.

* * *

_**Once again, I have no idea where I'm going with this, so nothing much has happened yet. Things should begin to diverge from the original plot by Chapter 2. **_

_**I already have a basic structure planned out for DoM, but it's just putting it into words that's the problem (sorry if this chapter is just a large jumble of words). This story will be faithfully sticking to the source material, although I'll be using this opportunity to explore plot points that were only mentioned in the original story. I think you'll like what I have planned for the last few chapters...assuming I get that far.**_


	3. Marquis de Sade

**Oh my, another update?!  
**

* * *

The battle was swift.

It had been painfully easy for Axel to overpower his three opponents even though he was holding back, and the trio were still having difficulties battling against him. The way he moved and casually dodged their attacks, hitting them with the sides of his chakrams and letting fire blaze everywhere, it was almost like he was mocking their abilities at battle.

After dodging several spells from the sorcerer duck – Donald, was it? – he moved in to attack Sora, only to be surprised when a Keyblade appeared right in front of him and knocked him back faster than he expected.

_"Not bad. So you still haven't forgetting everything yet," _Axel complimented as he backed off.

Then, deciding that the battle was already over, he began to walk away.

_"We're not done yet!" _Sora protested, gripping his Keyblade firmly even though he'd just been battered all over. _"Wait… you were testing us, weren't you?!"_

_"And you passed. Congratulations, Sora. You're ready to take on Castle Oblivion now." _

Taking out the card from earlier, the redhead threw it over to the boy, who caught it. Then Axel turned around to face him again.

_"You will need to follow your memories," _he spoke, adopting a gentler tone and words similar to Marluxia's from earlier. "_Trust what you remember and seek what you forget. Then you will find someone very special."_

_"You mean King Mickey and Riku?" _the doglike humanoid, er, Goofy interjected with a clumsy voice.

So the 'king' and 'Riku' were two different people. Maybe that was supposed to be important in some way, but Roxas didn't really care about that.

On the other hand, Axel smiled, as if amused.

_"You will just have to put some more thought as to who it is that's…most important to you." _He paused for dramatic effect. "_Our most precious memories lie so deep within our hearts that they're out of reach! But I'm sure that you can find __**yours**_,_ Sora."_

_"Why me?" _Sora pressed on.

Roxas was feeling bored just watching his best friend babble on about cryptic sentences to a stranger, but that question snapped him out of it. Looking into the orb, he eagerly awaited what Axel would say in response, because even he himself didn't know the answer to that. Not quite, anyway.

_"You have lost sight of the light within the darkness, and it seems that you've forgotten that you've forgot."_

_"The light within…darkness?" _Sora looked just as confused as he was.

_I give up. _Looking away from the orb, Roxas rubbed his forehead. He felt like he was having some kind of headache trying to make sense of the conversation.

_"Would you like me to give you…a hint?" _Axel asked, holding his hand out. Roxas turned to look at the orb once more.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then Sora looked up with a determined expression on his face, summoning his Keyblade once more.

_"I'm gonna figure it out for myself!" _he declared._ "And if you're in my way…"_

Axel smirked, as if suppressing a laugh._ "Good answer. Just what I'd expect from the Keyblade Master!" _Then his smile dropped as he looked at Sora blankly.

_"But be forewarned. When your sleeping memories awaken, you may longer be who you are now."_

So as to properly end the conversation, a corridor of darkness materialized around him, and he let himself disappear into it.

"Huh." Roxas continued to look at the crystal ball confusedly, before turning to the nearby nymph. "Hey, Larxene, are we going to have to make up lines like that too?"

"Probably," she replied nonchalantly, lying on a sofa. There was an odd smile on her face as she read an odd book with the words 'Marquis de Sade' on it. She looked like she was enjoying it.

"I- I see."

So for example, he could say something mysterious like _'your memories are lying dormant deep within your heart, hidden beneath other memories that come from the surface of your normal self. But you must look within yourself to bring out the memories of your other self, and only then will those memories of your true self reveal itself' _and it would still be acceptable.

Not that he understood himself what he'd just made up by himself, but he was sure that the true self of these words would itself bring out his other self and then reveal itself- wait.

"Yo," greeted Axel, walking out from a dark aura.

"You were pretty gentle with him, weren't you?" commented Larxene, although her attention was fixated on the book. "Personally, I would've bullied him a little more."

"I'm sure Roxas would have done the same as me." Roxas was surprised that Axel had bothered to mention him. The blazing redhead then went on to note the title on her book, and smiled nervously. "Besides, my taste in entertainment isn't as bad as yours."

_I wonder what it's about, _Roxas wondered to himself as he glanced at the 'Marquis de Sade' title again._ I'll ask her about it later. _

The blonde took Axel's words as a compliment, before shutting her book as she looked up to face him. There was something she couldn't help but have noticed during the earlier battle.

"…You seem pretty intrigued by _him_. Not the Keyblade, but what's in his heart," Larxene pointed out. "Just what do you see in that kid?"

Upon the mention of a heart, Axel straightened out his composure. It seemed as if he was going to take this topic seriously. "There was a time he became a Heartless."

"You mean what happened in Hollow Bastion?"

"And if one becomes a Heartless..."

"Yeah, yeah. They lose their minds and their feelings. Consumed by the darkness."

"Right, but not him. He held onto his feelings even as a Heartless. How? There's only one other man who's been able to do just that."

"All that 'strength of the heart' stuff, I suppose. He was chosen by the Keyblade, so I'm not surprised." Coming to a realization, she giggled. "It must be the _why_ that interests you, isn't it? Why it chose his heart?"

As much as Roxas wanted to interrupt and ask what they were talking about, he couldn't bring himself to. From what he managed to understand, they appeared to be talking about Sora. He figured that they probably had a reason for using this Somebody of all people, and he didn't expect to understand it. It was probably just another heart thing. He couldn't remember ever having a heart, so it wasn't his place to barge in.

"To unlock the mysteries of the 'heart' – that's the Organization's mission." Marluxia's sudden voice echoed throughout the room as he exited out a door, pulling back his hood to reveal that familiar flamboyant look and long pink hair. "And since I've been officially put in charge of this Castle Oblivion, our plan will definitely succeed."

"Well then, _leader,_" Larxene began sarcastically, "How's it going?"

"Perfectly. Everything is going according to plan. Now, it is only a matter of time until Sora remembers about his precious Naminé."

Then Marluxia's gaze locked onto Roxas.

"So how has our own Keyblade user been doing so far?"

"Hasn't moved an inch since we arrived."

"Hey!" protested Roxas. Larxene made it sound like he was some sort of lazy freeloader. "Well, neither have you!"

"Sure I did," Larxene waved away. "I sat down on a couch, but you've been standing there for the past few hours. Don't you _ever_ get tired like that?"

With a frown, the spiky-haired Nobody took a step forward in order to prove her wrong. Larxene gasped dramatically, holding the book up to cover her face.

"Oh my god, it_ moves?!_"

"Yes, it moves, and now it's going to—!"

"Now, now." As it appeared, the two of them seemed to get along surprisingly well. There was nothing more he needed to know. But more importantly, there was something he needed to tell the Key of Destiny. "Roxas, I'll be preoccupied with something for the next few days, so you'll be in charge of looking after Naminé until then. Do you understand?"

"Naminé, huh? I uh, I understand, leader," affirmed Roxas, nodding. "But why me? Why not Larxene, or Axel?"

"Compared to those two, you look about the same age as the witch. I think the two of you will get along quite nicely."

"Oh… okay then." He couldn't see anything wrong with it, and at the very least, it gave him something to do. Especially since it looked like he wouldn't be following Lord Xemnas's order to continue exterminating Heartless while in the castle.

"What the hell could you possibly be busy with..." After a cold glare, Larxene shut her lips tight. He must've had an ulterior motive for doing this, so she chose not to question it.

As for Axel, he was equally suspicious but knew it wasn't his place to ask.

"Sora will be left alone to figure out the puzzle we've set for him as he ascends the next five floors," Marluxia continued, turning around to generate a corridor of darkness in front of him. "By then, it should be easy for us to take hold of his memories."

Then he walked in, disappearing off to who-knew-where.

With a sigh, Roxas turned to face the nearby white door. He had been given the duty of babysitting the witch, not that he minded, but he was reluctant to leave the orb. Nevertheless, he had to, and forced himself to walk away.

_Wait. _

Remembering something that he had to do first, just as he passed by Larxene, he stopped in his place. It seemed that she had resumed reading the book from earlier, fully engrossed in it, so much that she was almost like a statue. This was his chance! Sneaking behind her quietly, he glanced over her shoulder in curiosity to see what was on it and **_"HOLY MOTHER OF XEMNAS, WHAT THE BLOODY HEARTLESS HECK IS THIS_**_?!__**"**_

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAH!"

Needless to say, Larxene instantly burst out laughing at his reaction. She'd apparently been holding it in when he approached, having lured him in.

"AHAAHAHAHAHA, oh- oh god, seriously_, _that's got to be the FUNNIEST thing that's ever happened to me since I joined this Organization…ahaha…aha…o_h my god, AHAHAHAHAHHAHAH!"_

Axel shook his head as she continued to laugh uncontrollably. "See what I mean, Roxas? Bad taste. That's what happens when you associate yourself with this savage nymph."

"…ahahahaha…aha… Ahaha… Okay, I'm better now. Okay. "

Once the nymph had finally recovered from her fit of laughter and giggles, she turned around from the sofa to face an absolutely-mortified Keyblader. His face had taken a pale color. If he had been a Somebody, he probably would've vomited on the spot.

"But you know, Roxas, I should _really_ teach you some proper swear words later on. You're no fun if you have such a small vocabulary."

"S- s- swear words…?" murmured Roxas dizzily.

He didn't want to get close to that book ever, ever again. If he ever saw the words 'Marquis de Sade' printed on anything ever again, he would burn it down in a flurry of fire spells. How did Larxene manage to read it so…so _normally_ anyway?

"Mhm. **And then I'll show you what Marquis is ****_really _****all about." **

Her tone had taken a sharp devilish edge, enough to scare any fool out of their wits – and wait, was she getting up? There was no reason to, so why would she be…? Oh no. Unless—

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Feeling sick all of a sudden, a terrified Roxas found that his feet had broken off into a run, rushing towards the closest door in sight. Quickly opening it, he escaped in and slammed the door shut, barricading it with his body just in case.

He couldn't let that maniac get in. NEVER! What that book contained was worse than any monster he'd ever imagined up until that point! He would probably end up having nightmares of it for the rest of his entire pitiful existence. So those were Larxene's true colors all along. THAT was the kind of thing she enjoyed! It was horrifying. It needn't be said that he had been traumatized. Forever.

…

"Um, are you alright?" A voice asked in a light tone, interrupting the silence that had passed between them for a few minutes now.

His face clicked to the source, like a robot.

The same girl as earlier was looking at him with a concerned expression. Naminé. The memory witch. The abnormal Nobody. A core part of their plan to take control over Sora. He wasn't sure what to think of her.

Actually, now that he thought about it, was this the first time he'd heard her speak? It probably was. It was a lot quieter than his first impression of her, and at the same time, more mature. He wasn't sure why, but he had previously viewed her as a plotting little devil with a squeaky voice to match. Looking into her eyes, it was hard for him to imagine how he had ever gotten such an impression from her.

"You're acting a little weird."

That didn't come as a surprise, since he was huddling against the door like a lunatic.

This must be what having a heart felt like. Huddling by doors. Doing irrational things. Making no sense. Being weird.

"A- a- a- a- am I now?" he replied, trying in vain to sound as normal as possible. His teeth were clattering in fear. Getting the contents out of that book out of his mind was proving to be extremely difficult.

_Maybe I should ask her to wipe my memory of the event…_

"H- h- hey, er, Naminé, was it? I don't suppose you c- can, by any chance, maybe…"

"I can," she replied, sensing his intent, "but then you might make the same mistake again. Wouldn't it be easier to learn from the past and move on?"

_BUT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THAT BOOK YET. _

"I- I guess you're right," relented Roxas, forcing a smile.

Although he couldn't put it into words, this girl had a peaceful aura surrounding her. He'd hate to act like a jerk around her. If he disturbed this serenity in the air or made her feel abused in any way, he felt like he would feel extremely guilty about it later. She just looked so innocent. Like a victim.

He had to change the topic somehow. "So uh, what are you drawing?"

She looked to be reluctant about showing him, but eventually gave in and held out her notebook for the boy to see. His eyes widened.

_T- this is...!_

* * *

Upon entering a grey disc, the screen asked him for a password. He typed it in.

ANSEM

But that didn't appear to be enough, as the screen then went on to ask for six more passwords. As extreme as that appeared to be, it was only to ensure that nobody would ever try to follow him in. If the rest of the Organization managed to access the secret Chamber of Repose, there was no telling how the Nobodies might react upon finding out what was being held within.

Calmly typing on the keyboard, he relied on what few memories he had as he entered the original names of each and every apprentice.

IENZO, AELEUS, EVEN, DILAN, BRAIG

At the last name, he hesitated. He wasn't quite sure why.

The letters were right there, but every time he heard the name, he felt like he should avoid it for some reason, hence the reason why he chose his master's name over this one. He was a Nobody, incapable of emotions, and yet this one name could bring out darkness even in the emptiest of voids. A passing silence went by as he stood there motionlessly. Even though there was a void where his heart should be, he felt wary.

Why was he hesitating? This was a part of his true self. He should learn to embrace it, as he had this nothingness that made up his very being. It _was _his original name after all, was it not?

Then,

**XEHANORT**

With that, a message with the words 'SYSTEM START' on it popped up, before disappearing to confirm that the entrance had been unlocked. Turning away in satisfaction, he took the disc with his right hand and began to head for the nearby exit.

But then he stopped upon noticing that a certain fellow comrade wasn't moving.

"Come," his voice beckoned, not bothering to turn around.

After a pause, the puppet's footsteps could be heard behind him as it followed. But something wasn't quite right with its actions. Against his better judgment, not expecting any form of answer in return, he spoke to it, "What is it?"

"Where...are we…going?"

It spoke.

The puppet had actually _spoken_ to him.

Perhaps his suspicions about its potential had been correct all along. If only Vexen hadn't been a traitor, then he might've congratulated the scientist on the success of his creation.

Pulling his hood off so he could take a better look, the silver-haired man turned to face the puppet with a blank look.

"To an old friend."

* * *

**Don't you just love cliffhangers?**

**Also, as it turns out, sometimes writing a chapter is easier by making things up as you go along rather than by planning everything from the get-go. I thought I might try something a little different this time, as in try to capture a lighter tone~ (I know, I know, I fail at comedy)**

**...**

**Reviews would be appreciated :3**


End file.
